以撒為兒子祝福

27 以撒年老的時候,眼睛昏花,幾乎看不見。他把大兒子以掃叫來,說:「我兒啊!」以掃說:「我在這裡。」 以撒說:「我年老了,不知道還能活多久。 現在,帶著你的弓箭去田野為我打些野味來, 照我喜歡的口味,做成美食給我吃,以便我在死前給你祝福。」

利百加聽見了以撒跟兒子以掃說的話。以掃出去打獵後, 利百加就對她兒子雅各說:「我聽見你父親對你哥哥以掃說, 『你去打些野味回來,做成美食給我吃,以便我死之前在耶和華面前給你祝福。』 現在,孩子,你要聽我的話,照我的吩咐去做。 你到羊群裡選兩頭上好的山羊羔,我好照你父親喜愛的口味做成美食, 10 由你拿去給他吃,讓他死前為你祝福。」

11 雅各對母親利百加說:「哥哥以掃渾身是毛,我的皮膚光滑。 12 如果父親用手摸我,一定會發覺我騙他,那時候我不但得不到祝福,反會招來咒詛。」 13 他母親利百加對他說:「孩子啊,有咒詛,我來承擔。你只管聽我的話,把羊羔牽來。」

14 於是,雅各把羊牽來交給母親,他母親就照他父親喜愛的口味做成美食。 15 利百加又拿了大兒子以掃留在家裡最好的衣服,給小兒子雅各穿上, 16 再用山羊皮把雅各光滑的手和脖子都包起來, 17 然後把做好的美味和餅交給雅各。

18 雅各來到父親跟前,叫了一聲:「父親。」以撒回答說:「我在這裡,孩子,你是誰?」 19 雅各對父親說:「我是你的大兒子以掃,你吩咐我的事,我已經辦好了。請你坐起來,吃我打的野味,然後給我祝福。」 20 以撒對他說:「孩子,你怎麼這麼快就打到野味了?」雅各回答說:「因為你的上帝耶和華讓我碰見好機會。」 21 以撒說:「孩子,過來,讓我摸摸看你是不是我兒以掃。」 22 雅各挨到父親跟前,以撒摸著他說:「聲音是雅各的聲音,手卻是以掃的手。」 23 因為雅各手上有毛,與他哥哥以掃的手一樣,以撒分辨不出來,就給他祝福。 24 以撒又問:「你真是我的兒子以掃嗎?」雅各回答說:「是。」 25 以撒便說:「把野味拿給我,我吃了你打的野味就為你祝福。」雅各遞上野味,以撒吃了;雅各又拿酒給他喝,他也喝了。 26 以撒對他說:「孩子,你過來親吻我。」 27 雅各就挨上前去親了父親。以撒聞到他衣服上的氣味,就祝福他說:

「我兒子的香氣就像蒙耶和華賜福之田地的香氣。
28 願上帝賜你天上的甘霖、肥沃的土地並豐富的五穀和新酒。
29 願萬民都臣服於你,
萬國都向你下拜。
願你成為你弟兄的主人,
願你母親的兒子向你下拜。
咒詛你的,願他受咒詛;
祝福你的,願他蒙祝福。」

以掃求父親祝福

30 雅各接受了以撒的祝福才剛離開,他的哥哥以掃就打獵回來了。 31 以掃把野味煮好,拿到父親跟前,說:「父親,請起來吃你兒子煮的野味,然後給我祝福。」 32 他父親以撒問道:「你是誰?」以掃回答說:「我是你的長子以掃。」 33 以撒大為震驚,說:「你沒有來之前,拿野味來給我吃的是誰呢?我已經吃了,也給那人祝福了,他將來必蒙祝福。」

34 以掃聽了放聲痛哭,說:「父親啊,求你也為我祝福!」 35 以撒說:「你弟弟已經用詭計把你的福分奪去了。」 36 以掃說:「怪不得他叫雅各,他已經騙了我兩次,先前把我長子的名分奪去,現在又奪去我的福分!」接著他對父親說:「難道你沒有留下別的祝福可以給我嗎?」

37 以撒對以掃說:「我已經立他做你的主人,使他的眾弟兄做他的僕人,並給他五穀和新酒。孩子啊,我還能為你做什麼呢?」 38 以掃對父親說:「父親啊,你只有一個祝福嗎?父親啊,求你也為我祝福!」以掃又放聲大哭。 39 以撒對他說:

「你住的地方必遠離肥沃的土地,
也不會有天上的甘霖。
40 你必倚靠刀劍生活,
又必服侍你的弟弟。
到你無法忍受的時候,
你必掙脫頸上的重軛。」

雅各逃往舅父家

41 以掃因為父親把祝福給了雅各,就對雅各懷恨在心,暗自思量說:「父親已經不久人世,他死後,我要把雅各殺掉!」 42 以掃的計謀傳到利百加耳中。她就派人把雅各叫來,對他說:「你哥哥以掃想要殺你洩憤! 43 孩子,聽我的話,現在就逃到哈蘭你舅舅拉班那裡, 44 與他住些日子,一直住到你哥哥的氣消了。 45 等他氣消了,忘了你對他所做的事,我會派人接你回來。我何必在一天之內失去你們兩個呢?」 46 利百加對以撒說:「我被這些赫人女子煩死了。如果雅各也像以掃一樣娶那些赫人女子為妻,我活著還有什麼意思呢?」

Jacob Tricks Isaac

27 When Isaac was old, his ·eyesight was poor [L eyes were dim], so he could not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, “[L My] Son.”

Esau answered, “Here I am.”

Isaac said, “I am old and don’t know ·when I might die [L the day of my death]. So take your weapons, your ·bow and arrows [L quiver and your bow], and go hunting in the field for ·an animal for me to eat [L game for me]. When you prepare the tasty food that I love, bring it to me, and I will eat. Then I will bless you before I die.” So Esau went out in the field to hunt [L for game to bring it].

Rebekah was listening as Isaac said this to his son Esau. She said to her son Jacob, “Listen, I heard your father saying to your brother Esau, ‘·Kill an animal [L Bring me game] and prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ So ·obey [listen to] me, my son, and do what I ·tell [command] you. Go out to our ·goats [L flock] and bring me two ·of the best young ones [choice goats]. I will prepare them just the way your father ·likes [loves] them. 10 Then you will ·take the food [L bring them] to your father, and he will bless you before he dies.”

11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth! 12 If my father ·touches me, he will know I am not Esau [L feels me…]. Then he will not bless me but will place a curse on me because ·I tried to trick him [L he will think I am mocking him].”

13 So ·Rebekah [L his mother] said to him, “·If your father puts a curse on you, I will accept the blame [L Let your curse be on me]. Just do what I said. Go get the goats for me.”

14 So Jacob went out and got ·two goats [L them] and brought them to his mother, and ·she cooked them in the special way [L his mother prepared a tasty meal just as] ·Isaac [L his father] ·enjoyed [loved]. 15 She took the best clothes of her older son Esau that were in the house and put them on the younger son Jacob. 16 She also took the skins of the goats and put them on Jacob’s hands and [L the smoothness of his] neck. 17 Then she gave Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

18 Jacob went in to his father and said, “[L My] Father.”

And his father said, “Yes, my son. Who are you?”

19 Jacob said to him, “I am Esau, your ·first son [firstborn]. I have done what you told me. Now ·sit up [L get up and sit down] and eat some ·meat of the animal [game] I hunted for you. Then bless me.”

20 But Isaac asked his son, “How did you find ·and kill the animal [L it] so quickly?”

Jacob answered, “Because the Lord your God ·helped me to find it [L went before me].”

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can ·touch [feel] you, my son. Then I will know if you are really my son Esau [L or not].”

22 So Jacob came near to Isaac his father. Isaac ·touched [felt] him and said, “Your voice ·sounds like [L is] Jacob’s voice, but your hands ·are hairy like [L are] the hands of Esau.” 23 Isaac did not ·know it was [recognize] Jacob, because his hands were hairy like Esau’s hands, so Isaac blessed him. 24 Isaac asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”

Jacob answered, “Yes, I am.”

25 Then Isaac said, “Bring ·me the food [L it to me], and I will eat ·it [L my son’s game] and bless you.” So Jacob gave him the food, and he ate. Jacob gave him wine, and he drank. 26 Then Isaac [L his father] said to him, “My son, come near and kiss me.” 27 So Jacob went to his father and kissed him. When Isaac smelled Esau’s clothes, he blessed him and said,

[L See,] The smell of my son
    is like the smell of the field
    that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you ·plenty of rain [L the dew of heaven]
    and ·good soil [L the fatness/richness/fertility of the earth]
    so that you will have plenty of grain and new wine.
29 May nations serve you
    and peoples bow down to you.
May you be master over your brothers,
    and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
May everyone who curses you be cursed,
    and may everyone who blesses you be blessed [12:3; Heb. 11:20].”

30 Isaac [L had just] finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob left his father Isaac, Esau came in from hunting. 31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. He said [L to his father], “Father, rise and eat ·the food that your son killed for you [L your son’s game] and then bless me.”

32 Isaac his father asked him, “Who are you?”

He answered, “I am your son—your firstborn son—Esau.”

33 Then Isaac trembled ·greatly [violently] and said, “Then who was it that hunted ·the animals [game] and brought me food before you came? I ate it, and I blessed him, and ·it is too late now to take back my blessing [L he will indeed be blessed].”

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a loud and bitter cry. He said to his father, “Bless me—me, too, my father [Heb. 12:17]!”

35 But Isaac said, “Your brother came and ·tricked [deceived; defrauded] me. He has taken your blessing.”

36 Esau said, “Jacob [C sounds like Hebrew for “heel” or “deceive”; 25:26] is the right name for him. He has ·tricked me [deceived me; L been at my heel] these two times. He took away my ·share of everything you own [birthright], and now he has taken away my blessing.” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you ·saved [reserved] a blessing for me?”

37 Isaac answered [L and said to Esau], “I gave Jacob the power to be master over you, and all his brothers will be his servants. And I kept ·him strong [sustained him] with grain and new wine. ·There is nothing left to give you [L What can I do for you…?], my son.”

38 But Esau ·continued [L said to his father], “Do you have only one blessing, Father? Bless me, too, Father!” Then Esau ·began to cry out loud [L lifted his voice and wept; Heb. 12:17].

39 Isaac his father said to him,

“You will live far away from the ·best [fatness; richness; fertility of the] land,
    far from the ·rain [L the dew of heaven; 27:28].
40 You will live by using your sword,
    and you will ·be a slave to [serve] your brother.
But when you ·struggle [or become restless],
    you will break ·free from him [L his yoke from your neck; Heb. 11:20].”

41 After that Esau ·hated [held a grudge against] Jacob because of the blessing ·from Isaac [L with which his father blessed him]. He thought ·to himself [L in his heart], “·My father will soon die, and I will be sad for him [L The days of mourning for my father are near]. Then I will kill Jacob [L my brother].”

42 Rebekah ·heard about Esau’s plan to kill Jacob [L was told the words of Esau her oldest son]. So she sent for Jacob [L her younger son] and ·said to [informed] him, “Listen, your brother Esau is ·comforting himself [consoling himself; or wants to execute his anger against you] by planning to kill you. 43 So, my son, ·do what I say [L listen to my voice]. My brother Laban is living in Haran. ·Go to him at once [L Get up and flee to him]! 44 ·Stay [Live; Reside] with him for a while, until your brother ·is not so angry [calms down]. 45 In time, your brother will not be angry, and he will forget what you did to him. Then I will send a servant to bring you back. I don’t want to lose both of my sons on the same day.”

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am ·tired of [weary of my life due to] ·Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites]. If Jacob marries one of ·these Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites] here in this land, ·I want to die [why would I want to live?].”